But some experts have expressed doubts about whether the local governments most affected by the move will follow orders.

Lin Boqiang, director of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy in southeastern China, told the New York Times: “Some projects might have been ongoing for 10 years, and now there’s an order to stop them.”

“It’s difficult to persuade the local governments to give up on them,” Boqiang said.

But he added that because the directive names specific projects set for cancellations, it might be difficult for officials to ignore.